Friday, August 21, 2009

Princess and the Frog - Sneak Peek

I've heard mixed things about the state of Disney's upcoming film, and the fact that they took a five year break from traditionally animated films really puts the pressure on. People who have worked on it seem to be excited and optimistic, but early reviews that have leaked (of extremely rough cuts) have been less than favorable. A few have mentioned how puzzled they are that the film has so many plot problems this far in the process, wondering why Disney can't take a hint from Pixar's "story-above-all" approach.

So when Cartoon Brew posted this sneak peek, I was pretty skeptical in the opening minutes. Don't show me Steamboat Willie and a twelve-field peg board and think everything will be okay.

But by the end of the video, I realized that no matter what plot flaws this movie might have, I'm still going to be extremely pumped to see hand-drawn Disney characters singing once again. I grew up on that stuff, I memorized songs, and I watched the VHS tapes (remember those?) to the point of near un-spooling. That is a love that cannot die. I wish this film nothing but the best, not only because it could herald a rebirth of traditional animation, but because I'd hate to see kids growing up without it.